While children were busy hunting Easter eggs on Monday, United Insurance Empire Club were busy hunting hockey titles.
Both the men and women’s teams added to their 2013 triumphs, when they captured the Barbados Hockey Federation’s (BHF) Indoor Hockey Classic titles during the finals at the Wildey Gymnasium.
It was pure joy for the defending champions, but devastating for Combermere School Old Scholars (CSOS), who lost to Empire in both finals for the second successive year.
For the CSOS women especially, it would have been a bitter pill to swallow, having rushed out to a 2-0 lead within the first ten minutes.
While the Empire men thoroughly thrashed CSOS 6-2 in a lopsided final, their women just managed to edge home 3-2 in an exciting finale.
The brother and sister duo of Che and Charlia Warner once again played critical roles in each of their team’s victories.
Che’s four goals and a double strike by Laurando Davis helped Empire establish a comfortable 6-0 lead just two minutes into the second half.
Che scored in the 11th, 17th, 21st and 27th minutes, while Davis added strikes in the 20th and 22nd minutes to virtually decide the contest, before CSOS got two late consolation goals from Khevyn Williams (26) and Shavon Goddard (39).
It was a lot tougher for the women, who needed a double strike from Charlia in the second half to overcome their arch-rivals.
Keisha Jordan’s second-minute strike and Kemi Brewster’s goal in the 10th minute, had put CSOS in a strong position to lift the cup.
However, Ayanna Wilson scored in the 19th minute, before Charlia added two daggers in the 26th and 28th minutes to seal the deal.
In the ladies’ third placed play-off, Avengers Hockey Club blanked UWI Blackbirds Hockey Club 3-0 thanks to goals from Gabrielle Williams (2, 38) and Tamisha Small (16).
UWI’s male counterparts claimed third place by default after YMCA. Hockey Club failed to turn up.
(RB)
